Breast pad and the like



Feb. 15, 1938. E. L. MARTIN BREAST PAD AND THE LIKE- Filed Dec. 1, 1936 INVENTOR: w i W Patented Feb. 15, 193

BREAST PAD AND mm mm Elsie L. Martin,

Application December 1,

7 Claims.

My invention relates to breast pads and the like, and to a novel combination of such a pad with a garment or device such as a band, brassiere, girdle, foundation, corset, etc. My novel pad can be made to afford a perfect substitute for a natural breast (for surgical cases) or can be adapted to remedy deficiencies of bust development. Not only can it afford the appearance of a natural bust when worn by a normally dressed woman, or even when worn under a bathing suit, but it can also simulate the natural. breast to the casual touch so as to escape detection. It can be made light and comfortable to wear, self-ventilating and highly sanitary, and easy to wash, renovate, or even disinfect when necessary. It is easy and inexpensive to make, and can be quickly and easily adapted to the particular requirements of any individual wearer, so as to simulate her normal or proper breast perfectly. It can be worn with an evening gown as well as with any other type of dress.

A great variety of breast-pads have heretofore been designed: some consisting of pneumatic cells; some of stiff and hollow construction; some of flexible fabric stuffed with a fibrous filling like curled hair or cotton batting; and some modelled of elastic material such as sponge rubber. All, however, have been subject to certain principal drawbacks: viz, their construction was of such character as to give each pad a substantially fixed form, which could not readily be modified to simulate the actual or normal bust of an individual wearer; and at best the prior pads had only the elasticity of rubber, without the plasticity characteristic of a normal human breast. Also many such pads have been either so impervious to air as to prevent proper ventilation through them, or very absorbent of perspiration and body odors,

' while at the same time difficult or impossible to cleanse, renovate, or disinfect. Many, too, could not be worn for bathing or swimming without being ruined or at least losing their shape and elas-v ticity temporarily, so as to betray their artificial character.

I overcome the chief drawbacks of prior devices by making my pad plastic substantially like a:

v normal breast, and also elastically deformable like a breast. Using a pad that is plastic, I am able to adapt its form very easily to simulate the proper or normal bust of anywoman who wears it, by associating the pad with a garment band, or the a like that conforms to such wearer's proper, normal bust. For present styles in women's wear, such garment or device will usually correspond to a brassiere such as now. generally used; either a,

Drexel Hill, Pa.

1936, Serial No. 113,737 (of. 2-267) separate brassiere, or one forming part of a girdle, foundation, or corset, etc. Associated with such a garment or device that supports, confines, or molds the bust, my plastic breast-pad is molded and held in place by it very much as the natural or 5 normal breast of the wearer is or would be.

Preferably, my pad is detachably secured to the brassiere or the like, as by pins, hooks and eyes, snap fasteners such as used on gloves, or even by stitching.

While my novel breast-pad is thus easily brought into the form of a wearer's normal or proper bust, it may, of course, be desirable to make such pads in a variety-of sizes corresponding to the volume of breast appropriate to different torl5 sos, and in rights" and lefts". The pad may be of any material and construction that will give the proper plasticity and elasticity; but I prefer a flexible envelope containing loose particles or shreds of filling material, since this lends itself 0 to both lightness and permeability'of the pad. While such loose filler particles suffice to give plasticity and a certain elasticity, yet somewhat greater elasticity may be obtained by using particles or small pieces of elastic material. A filling 5 of small pieces or shreds of elastic sponge combines lightness, elasticity, and permeability to air in a high degree,-especially natural sponge, or elastic sponge-rubber such as used for bath sponges.

A property that is very desirable for the filling used in my pad is illustrated by the behavior of shredded sponge rubber such as may readily be made by cutting small pieces off a rubber bath sponge with a pair of scissors. Besides being individually elastic and shifting relative to one another with a good deal of freedom, such small pieces of rubber have sufiicient friction with one another to stick and resist slipping over one another when any firm pressure is exerted on a 40 mass of such pieces. Thus the pad in use exhiibits the elastic firmness of a breast in a brass ere.

- The envelope of my pad may be of any fabric or texture that will retain the particles of filling and yield with them. A permeable, woven or knitted fabric offers the advantages of ventilationand of ease in washing the pad; while an impermeable fabric like oil silk, sheet rubber, cellophane, etc. excludes moisture and odors from the filling. 1

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description of a species or form of embodiment, and from the drawing. So far as novel overthe art, indeed, all

the features and combinations herein illustrated or described are of my invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a pad conveniently embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; and Fig. 3 is a vertical mid-section.

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of" the two halves of the envelope of the pad.

Fig. 6 is a perspective front view of an elastic nipple forming part of the pad as illustrated; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of some of the filling material.

Fig. 8 is a partial perspective view of a person wearing the pad in a brassiere; Fig. 9 is a corresponding side view, with the brassiere partly broken away; and Fig. ,10 is a partial back view, showing certain features of the'brassiere;

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, my pad P is of a pointed-oval outline and of considerable convexity in front, while its back my be nearly fiat. its envelope M, which may be made of fabric such as glove-silk or satin, comprises a front piece H and a back piece l2, with their edges coincident and stitched together as indicated at l3 in Fig. 3. As best shown in Figs..1 and 3, the front II is not intrinsically fiat, but convex, while the back l2 may be substantially flat except as modified by conformity to the breastless (or fiat-breasted) torso of the wearer. At its apex or point of greatest forward projection (when worn), the pad P may have an elastic nipple projection i,to simulate the natural nipple of the wearer under her clothing. In Fig. 3, the envelope I is shown filled with shreds, flakes, or chips 15 of elastic sponge.

One way of giving the front II the desired convexity is to gather and sew its lower mid-portion (below its apex, wherethe nipple I4 is attached) into a plurality of knife-pleats or tucks, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. Figs. '1 and 4 show two such tucks. Being naturally stiffer than the single ply fabric, these folds or tucks alsoserve as a stitched-in stiffening uplift to keep the pad in shape and prevent any tendency to sagging. In Fig. 4, the lines of fold or crease of the fabric for each tuck are shown by heavy dotted lines A and B, while the places where the creases will lie against the unfolded fabric are indicated by the light dotted lines a and b. The lines of stitching H to secure the folds flat on the unfolded fabric may follow the (outer) coincident lines Aa, Aa without following the (inner) coincident lines Bb, Eb: e. g., the lines of stitches.

may be in a series of nested Vs, as shown in Fig.

The back l2 may consist of a single piece of fabric as shown in Fig. 5, or of two separate pieces l8 and i3 overlappingconsiderably as indicated at 20 and 2| in Fig. 2. The edge of the overlapping piece l8 may be widely turned under as indicated at 22.

During manufacture, the back pieces l8 and I9 may be bastedtogether in their relation as shown in Fig. 2 until their edges have been sewed to the front piece I I, along seam I3. Preferably, this is done with the sides of the front H and .back l2 that are outermost in Figs. 1-3 toward one another. Then the basting stitches may be removed, and the whole envelope turned inside out, so that the edges of front H and back |2 are at the inside, as shown in Fig. 3. The opening at 20 between the pieces I8, I 9 may thereafter be used for introducing the filling l into the en velope, and then basted or sewed up again as indicated at 22!. This may preferably be done with stitches easy to remove; so that the pad can or for replacing it with different or fresh filling. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the envelope ID has pairs of eyelets 23 worked or secured in its upper edge, at its middle and at both ends or corners:- these open through both the front H and the back 2. In manufacture, patterns of substantially the outlines shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may conveniently be used for cutting out the fronts H and backs 2. If preferred, the back It may originally, be in one piece, with a fiat pleat formed by folding along the lines 20, 2 I; and aft er the front II and back It! have been sewed together at t3, the opening at 20 may be formed by cutting along the line 2|, preparatory to turning the envelope inside out as above mentioned.

As shown in Fig. 6,- the nipple 4 may consist of hollow elastic vulcanized rubber, like a rubber finger-cap, and may be provided with holes 24 through its margin at its base (three being shown) for stitches 25 to secure it to the envelope front When the pad is wornunder a brassire, as hereinafter described, the nipple [4 will be flattened according to the tightness of the brassiere, just like a natural nipple.

Fig. 7 shows the filler shreds, flakes, or chips l5 of sponge rubber, such as may be made by cutting pieces off a rubber bath-sponge with a pair of scissors. The pad P is preferably just about filled (but not at all stuffed) with these, so as to exhibit a certain plasticity when handled, or under any force tending to deform it. The pieces I5 may be rather flat.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the pad P of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 as worn under a brassiere B of ordinary and very simple design and construction. The particular brassire illustrated comprises breast pieces 21,

21 mainly of rather inelastic glove silk or the like, but with diamond-shaped inset top portions 28, 28-of lace and/or net. These breast pieces 21, 21 are supported by narrow shoulder straps of inelastic ribbon 29, 29 attached to the upper points or angles 30, 30 of the diamond portions 28, 28. These parts 28, 28 are cut with their lower angles more acute than those originally existing between the upper edges of the glovesilk to which the lower edges of said pieces 28, 28 are seamed at 3|, 3|, so that the breast pieces 21, 21 bag forward as pockets adapted to hold, support, and even mold the natural (or normal) breasts of the wearer. The breast pieces 21, 21 narrow from the points 30, 30 to their junction (at seam 32), by reduction along both their upper and their lower edges,- and also narrow in like manner around under the arms of the wearer, where they are attached (by seams 33, 33) to gradually narrowing strips 35, 35' (of inelastic glove-silk or thelike such as above mentioned) which extend around the sides and back of the wearer, where the rear ends of the shoulder straps 29, 29 are attached to them. The edges of the parts 21, 28, 35 may be bound with tape or otherwise suitably finished. (Fig. 10). The shoulderstraps 29, 29 may preferably be provided with suitable means of length adjustment, such as rings 36 and friction-buckles 31, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The rear ends of the strips 35, 35 may be interconnected and detachably fastened together in any suitable manner,-as by a short length of rubber-elastic tape 38 sewed to one strip 35 and having an eye 40 for engagement with a hook II on the end of the other strip 35.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, my pad P is being resemblance to the natural form of the missing breast. As shown, the upper edge of. pad P is secured to the upper portion of breast-piece 21 at three suitably-located points, as by small safety-pins and taking through the above described eyes in the pad P. One good'way of locating and secur-- ing the pad P in the brassiere B is to put on the brassiere with the pad loose therein, then bring the-pad into just the right position and pin it there temporarily with ordinary pins or safetypins (not shown), then takeoff the brassiere and pin the pad in place more permanently with the' small safety-pins M,-inserted from the inside of the pad so as not to be noticeable in the brassire under a thin dress,and finally remove the first-mentioned pins.

It will readily be appreciated that a brassiere B and pad P may be worn under a bathing suit as readily as under any ordinary dress or evening gown, since its elasticity is not afiectedby wetting, and it is in nowise injured by water. The pad P can be washed with, soap and water and squeezed out, and will dry easily. Itcan also be washed in an antiseptic, germicidal, or deodorant solution, if this should be desirable for any reason. I

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

44 stuck through the brassiere fabric.

molded by the brassiere, when worn, into substantially the form of the wearer's normal breast, and is also plastically and elastically deformable, substantially like a normal breast.

2. The combination with a brassiere fitted to the body of a wearer and conformable to her normal bust, of a plastic and elastic pad in a I breast portion of said brassire filled with shreds of elastic sponge so as to be plastically molded by the brassire, when worn, into substantially the form of the wearers normal breast.

3. A breast pad of the character described, comprising a flexible envelope with a. filling of loose shreds renderingthe pad when worn plastically moldable and deformable, substantially like a normal breast.

4. A breast pad of. the' character described, comprising a flexible envelope with a filling of loose compressively elastic particles.

5. Abreast pad of the character described, comprising a flexible envelope filled with shreds of elastic sponge, so that when worn the pad is plastically and elastically moldable and deformable substantially like a normal breast.

' 6. A breast pad of the character described, comprising a flexible envelope filled with small pieces of elastic sponge rubber.

'7. A breast pad of the character described, convex in front, and comprising a flexible envelope with a filling of loose shreds rendering the pad when worn plastically moldable and deformable substantially like a normal breast, and having a stiffening uplift stitched into its front envelope wall below its point of. greatest forward projection. I

ELSIE L. MARTIN. 

